27/03/2025

SPORTS THURSDAY | MAR 27, 2025

31

Hevel credits teammates after opening account

RESULTS

WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS EUROPE

NEWLY eligible heritage player Hector Hevel credited his teammates and coaching staff for their strong support in helping him settle in quickly following his stellar display in Harimau Malaya’s 2-0 victory over Nepal in their Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers Group F openeron Tuesday. The 28-year-old Dutch-born midfielder, who made an immediate impact by scoring the opening goal less than a week after joining the squad, acknowledged the team’s camaraderie and communication as key factors in his smooth transition. “Everyone helped me a lot to adapt when I came here. I arrived only six or seven days before

strong start, the real test would come against tougher opponents in more challenging matches. He remained optimistic about the team’s chances, believing that with continued improvement, hard work, and confidence in their approach, they could progress further in the competition. The Portuguese club Portimonense SC player was one of two new additions to the squad last Wednesday, alongside Spanish-born defender Gabriel Palmero. The duo participated in the team’s training session in Johor Bahru, where Hevel said he was impressed by Johor Darul Ta’zim’s world-class training facilities and stadium. Playing before a crowd of 7,895, Hevel fired Malaysia into the lead in the 29th minute before defender Corbin Ong secured the victory with a second goal in the 71st minute. – Bernama

the game,” Hevel said. “Everybody needs to adapt fast, and you need to speak with your teammates. We communicated a lot on and off the pitch and trained hard. “And like the coach said, we need to keep improving. For the next camp, we have to prepare even more,”said the Man of the Match at the post game press conference. Hevel also praised Malaysia’s footballing ambitions and pledged to play his part in driving the national team forward. He expressed his commitment to giving his best and acknowledged that while this was a

Group I: Moldova 2 (Nicolaescu 67, Caimacov 90+1) Estonia 3 (Peetson 19, Sappinen 30, Kait 70) , Israel 2 (Abu Fani 55, Turgeman 90+3) Norway 4 (Moller Wolfe 39, Sorloth 59, Ajer 65, Haaland 83) . Group J: Liechtenstein 0 Kazakhstan 2, North Macedonia 1 (Miovski 90+1) Wales 1 (Brooks 90+6). Group L: Gibraltar 0 Czech Republic 4 (Cerny 21, Schick 50, Sulc 72, Kliment 90+5) , Montenegro 1 (Kuc 90’+6) Faroe Islands 0. SOUTH AMERICA: Bolivia 0 Uruguay 0, Argentina 4 Brazil 1, Chile 0 Ecuado 0, Colombia 2 Paraguay 2, Venezuela 1 Peru 0. AFRICA Group A: Egypt 1 Sierra Leone 0. Group B: Sudan 1 South Sudan 1, Mauri tania 0 Democratic Republic of Congo 2, Senegal 2 Togo 0. Group C: Benin 0 South Africa 2, Nigeria 1 Zimbabwe 1, Rwanda 1 Lesotho 1. Group D: Angola 1 Cape Verde 2, Camer oon 3 Libya 1. Group E: Morocco 2 Tanzania 0. Group F: Burundi 5 Seychelles 0. Group G: Botswana 2 Somalia 0, Uganda 1 Guinea 0, Algeria 5 Mozambique 1. Group H: Namibia 1 Equatorial Guinea 1, Liberia 2 Sao Tome e Principe 1, Tunisia 2 Malawi 0. Group I: Comoros 1 Chad 0. ASIA: Japan 0 Saudi Arabia 0, North Korea 1 Jordan 1, China 0 Australia 2, Kyrgyz Republic 3 Qatar 1, Indonesia 1 Bahrain 0, Iran 2 Uzbekistan 2, South Korea 1 UAE 2, Kuwait 0 Oman 1, Pales tine 2 Iraq 1. ‘New BAM boss must better Norza’s achievements’ THE new Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) chief faces a challenging task to live up to his role, especially to produce world champions and realise Malaysia’s dream of an Olympic gold, said former great Datuk Rashid Sidek. He said former BAM president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria had done well in developing Malaysian badminton, and the onus is on his successor to bring more glory to the country. “There needs to be a review to determine whether existing programmes are still relevant. If they are, continue them. If they are unlikely to go far, then change them. “Previously, Mohamad Norza played an important role in improving badminton standards, leading to Olympic medals. He significantly contributed to enhancing players’ performances. The new president must be even better than Mohamad Norza,” he said. He was speaking to reporters after a Hari Raya Aidilfitri contribution ceremony organised by the National Athletes’ Welfare Foundation, Astro Arena , the Malaysian Muslim Chamber of Commerce and Milo. Among the key achievements during Mohamad Norza’s two-term presidency was the success of top men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, who became Malaysia’s first world champions in 2022 and won bronze at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics. Mohamad Norza was named BAM’s honorary life president after stepping down as the BAM chief in August last year. – Bernama

Room for improvement

181/25

26/03/2025

7956 5507 9515

7298 2992 4805 6106 0393

7007 8219 5768 1002 5278

4535 2530 1498 4969 0205

3661 8795 9335 8708 1130

N ATIONAL head coach Peter Cklamovski was full of praise for his Harimau Malaya players after Malaysia secured a 2-0 victory over Nepal in their Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers Group F opener at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri on Tuesday night. The Australian coach said that despite having limited time to prepare, his men managed to translate their training sessions into a solid performance on the pitch. However, he admitted that there is still room for improvement ahead of their upcoming matches. “Good performance, I’m proud of the players, they gave everything and it (was all) connected to everything we did in training,” Cklamovski “It wasn’t such a long training camp but the players gave everything physically the whole week, (were) very focused mentally as well the whole week and it led to a really strong team performance. “There were many good chances. On another night, perhaps we could have scored more goals. “The good thing is that we created many chances and scored two goals, have a clean sheet and take home all three points. “We know we still have more work to do and we know we have a lot of potential as well. So, we have to work hard every day to keep improving,” he said at the post-match press conference. The Australian tactician, who was announced as Malaysia’s head coach last December, praised his players’ commitment and dedication while highlighting that the team is heading in the right direction towards building a competitive squad. “I just want to say I hope all Malaysians are proud of the players… for getting a win. Support us in our journey to build something special for this country. “Again, a massive thank you to His Royal Highness Tunku Mahkota Johor (TMJ) for setting this camp up the way he has. “An absolute ultimate professional environment for us to prepare, which matches the performance. And without him, that’s not possible,” he added. Malaysia’s Corbin Ong (top) fights for the ball against Nepal’s Sanish Shrestha during the Asian Cup qualifiers on Tuesday. – AFPPIC

National winger Mohamad Faisal Abdul Halim expressed his joy at finally donning the Harimau Malaya jersey again, nearly a year after surviving a horrific acid attack at a shopping mall in Petaling Jaya. Mohamad Faisal, better known as Faisal Halim, said that, while he was grateful for the opportunity to return to action, he still needs to work hard to overcome his weaknesses and reach his best form. “Thank you to all Malaysians, FAM (Football Association of Malaysia), coach Peter (Peter Cklamovski), and His Royal Highness TMJ, for giving me the opportunity and support after nearly a year away from the national team. “This marks my first appearance in the national team jersey (since the attack), and I’ve truly missed it. “While I was grateful for the opportunity to play tonight (last night), I know there’s still a lot I need to improve for the future and the next game,” he said after the match. The 2023 Asian Cup Goal of the Year winner, fondly known as Mickey, admitted to feeling a bit awkward when he was brought on as a substitute. “The feeling was quite different. Unlike before, when I was a regular player, now I have to work hard to regain my best rhythm and performance. For now, I’ve shown that I can still perform, but I need more time to be at my best,” he said. In Tuesday’s clash, new heritage player Hector Hevel put Malaysia ahead in the 29th minute before defender Corbin Ong doubled the lead in the 71st minute to seal victory. Meanwhile, Vietnam made a strong start to their campaign with a resounding 5-0 win over Laos at the Binh Duong Stadium to top the group standings with three points, level with Malaysia in second place. Malaysia will next host Vietnam on June 10 before travelling to Laos on Oct 9. – Bernama Cklamovski off to winning start but says still lots to do after Nepal win

RM36,651,231.23

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RM1,709,047.62

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11 35

RM12,780,233.90

RM228,141.09

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